Wrong Number
by Phantom77
Summary: Late at night Leo gets a call by accident from an crying woman. Can he find a way to help her? Please R&R.


AN: This is what happens when a dark plot bunny attacks you in the middle of the night after watching too many Law & Order episodes.

Disclaimer: How shall I count the ways that I don't own tmnt...

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Wrong Number

It was quiet in the lair, and for once it wasn't a foreboding silence.

Mikey and Master Spinter had hit the sack hours ago. After a long debate with Donnie about the nature of his health and overall tiredness I had managed to get him to go to bed as well, and Raph just returned from his run on the surface. Freeing me from staying up into the late hours of night worrying about him.

I was just about ready to go to bed myself when….

My shell cell started ringing.

I answered it quickly. Partly because I didn't want it to wake everyone, and partly because whenever someone calls me it usually means trouble.

"Hey Frank," said a quiet female voice on the other end. She sounded shaky, and her voice was choked with a tightness that usually followed hours of crying.

"Um. Sorry. You must've dialed a wrong number." I answered.

"Oh…Well.. Maybe you can help me." She quietly asked.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but…" I began.

"Oh Please! Just hear me out! I just… I just need someone to hear me out." She begged, probably on the verge of crying again.

"Uh…O…Ok." I stammered. She sounded really upset. It took me back to hear that kind of pain over the phone. A side effect of living with three brothers who were also taught to control their emotions, but if all she wanted to do was to talk I saw no harm in it.

"It's my husband Frank." She whimpered, "He's really a nice, gentle man. He is. It's just… sometimes… When he's had a few drinks…"

I didn't need to be Don to know where this was headed.

"Has he hit you?" I asked, with a hard defensive edge.

"It's my fault…really. I should've know better than to provoke him after he's had a few beers." She explained, making excuses for him.

A jab of anger shot through me. I instantly hated this Frank, but I kept my distaste mostly out of my voice when I said,

"Get away from him."

"You sound just like Ruth." She sighed.

"Ruth is right." I countered, "If Frank has hit you once he'll never stop. It sounds like this has happened before."

"I know. That's why I threw him out, but… He just seemed so sad and apologetic…" She trailed off.

"Listen to me." I ordered, "Whatever fantasy you have about forgiving him and going on like he's actually learned his lesson is false. It'll never happen. So stay away from him."

"What do you know?" She snapped.

"I know that you don't hurt the people you love. You protect them; shelter them. No matter how annoying or stubborn or hot headed they are. You keep them safe no matter what, and you certainly don't hit them." I answered putting emphasis on the last sentence, "I have never met you or talked to you before, but I _know_ you can do better than Frank. There are over a million men in the world who can each be ten times better than him. Who can project you, laugh with you, and love you, but you have to be willing to protect yourself first. Stay way from Frank, and I swear, you'll find someone better. You just need to be willing to look."

"…"

Only the sound of my breathing was heard on the line….

I was beginning to wonder if she'd dropped the phone. Or tried to hang it up, but didn't do it correctly. When…

"Really?"

She was almost sounded child-like, but hopeful.

"Really." I agreed softly.

There was silence on the line again, but it was less tense than before.

"Thank you."

"Anytime." I said smiling weakly, and then she hung up.

I tossed and turned all night. Thinking about the woman. Did she make the right choice? Did she listen to me, to her friend Ruth? Did she ignore both of us and forgive him anyway? I didn't know. Couldn't know.

I could only hope. Hope that the poor lady had listened to a stranger she had called…

On a wrong number.

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AN: I'm not sure if Leo's speach sounded quiet right, so please review. I've never written a story like this before, and I'd love to hear how I can improve it.


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